Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Wednesday 2 April

Fairly bright today, with some hazy sunshine. A thin band of rain is moving up from the southwest, so that can be anticipated. More rain for tomorrow, as the temperature moves up towards 12C / 54F.

Zimbabwe is on tenterhooks, awaiting the final results of the presidential poll. A defeat looks on the cards for Robert Mugabe. If it comes to a run-off, which appears likely, the third candidate would drop out, but his votes would certainly go towards Morgan Tsvangirai. The parliamentary elections are tied, with Mugabe's party on 92 seats and the MDC on 91, plus 5 for a breakaway fraction.

Found it worrying to learn that a quarter of children aged between 8 and 11 have a profile with an on-line social networking site (e.g. Bebo). Officially, the age limit is 13, but this is never enforced. Young children are at risk of predators, and the websites concerned have received recommendations to improve security for their youngest users. Read more here.

8 comments:

Happy Wednesday, Guido! Enjoy some warm temps. The information about children on the internet is widely publicised state side as many children have turned up missing. As expected, when little Katie is old enough, Dirk will be watchful over where she clicks. As will I. This is good information.

Children should only be allowed to log onto their own links monitored and allowed by their parents. Under no circumstances would I be guilty of giving a child carte blanche on the internet. I don't know what posseses some of these parents. The computer should be under supervision in the same area where everyone can see what the other is doing on it. ESPECIALLY children!They should never be used in a bedroom alone. Why don't some parents see that?Where is their common sense?8 and 11 years old and leaving profiles on Bebo etc. How scary is that? Look at the Trolls that visit some of our journals. Scary!Jeanie

Adam is only 7, well nearly 8 and I have tight parental controls on his user name. He can only visit certain sights which I have specified. If he needs anything else he has to ask me. I also get an e-mail every week which tells me what sites he has been on/or has tried to visit, and how long he has been on line. You just cannot be too careful these days.!!!

It's been a beautiful day here today. Warm enough to walk without a coat. Luvely!!!

I hope that Robert Mugabe is out of office for the good of Zimbabwe. It is very unsettling that such young children are on those types of social networking sites. My 18-year-old now has a My Space account, but we wouldn't let him until he was 16 and I monitored it and controlled access to it. He could get grounded from it if I wanted. I won't allow our 12-year-old to have an account like that either.Lori

Well it looks like Robert Mugabe is out. I hope the people of Zimbabwe get a president for the good of the country and the people. The amount of parents that have little parental control of sites like Bebo need to heed the warnings that are now coming to the fore.At the end of the day kids lie about the age limits on site. It has to be the parents that police there childrens internet access. I hope your day has been a good one.love and hugsKatie